Amos 1:13-15

5). YHWH's Judgment On Ammon (Amos 1:13).

‘The children of Ammon', like Aram, had continually treated Gilead mercilessly. In order to enlarge their territory they had not only invaded Gilead but had deliberately targeted unborn babies. They had ‘ripped up the women with child'.

Amos 1:13

“Thus says YHWH.

For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yes, for four,

I will not turn away their punishment,

Because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead,

That they may enlarge their border.

But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah,

And it will devour their palaces,

With shouting in the day of battle,

With a tempest in the day of the whirlwind,

And their king will go into captivity,

He and his princes together,

Says YHWH.”

So fifthly YHWH has spoken against the Ammonites. ‘The children of Ammon' (note the tribal designation in this case) were the least sophisticated of the nations around Israel/Judah and consisted mainly groups of half-wild tribesmen in the semi-wild land bordering on the desert. Their continual treatment of the women of Gilead (‘for three transgressions and for four') was seen as especially appalling. The idea was of genocide in order that they could extend their borders. But for them it would result in the kindling of a fire and would result in devastation being brought on their capital city and on their splendid palaces. The picture is vivid and we can almost hear the shouting of the soldiers as they sack the city, and their deliberate kindling of the fire that would destroy the city. Rabbah was their only large city. The devastation would be similar to that of a fierce tempest in ‘the day of the whirlwind'. It would be horrendous. And the final consequence would be that their king and his princes would go into captivity, as YHWH had decreed. This last takes up the theme of ‘the one who holds the sceptre' already commenced with Aram and Philistia (Amos 1:5; Amos 1:8).